Grocery shoppers are feeling a sudden pinch on their food budgets, a result of a convergence of events that have spiked prices for everyday items like meat, eggs and dairy.

Food prices rose 0.4 percent in February, the most since September 2011, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported earlier this week. Beef shoppers face some of the biggest increases, with prices jumping 4 percent from January, the highest seen in almost three decades.

But the most extreme price increase has happened in the produce department, where a nationwide shortage of limes has seen wholesale prices quadruple. Other produce items also have been getting more expensive, like oranges, which have gone up 3.4 percent since last month.

"In all the years that I've been doing business I've never seen prices rise so fast," says Scott Weaver, executive chef for Elephants Delicatessen, which operates six gourmet specialty shops throughout the Portland area. "It doesn't seem to be one category that's affected. Usually the culprit is a drought or a virus or global demand. But this seems to be across the board. And that's making everything go up all at once."

Heather Cheney of Hillsboro says she's noticed price increases in groceries she buys for her family, particularly with milk and produce. She says she's tried to cut costs by using more beans and rice, but doing without some things isn't an option.

The causes of the price increases are wide-ranging. Beef has been hit by the combination of a dwindling number of cattle and growing export demand. The ongoing California drought has caused crop shortages that are only expected to worsen. The combination of disease and an unusually cold winter has damaged citrus crops across the Sun Belt. An unprecedented virus outbreak in the nation's hog population has reduced stock by more than 6 million pigs. And as ridiculous as it sounds, Mexico's notorious drug cartels are playing a role in limes going sky-high.

Here's a look at some of the foods that have been most affected, along with some consumer strategies for dealing with price increases:

Beef: Consumers are facing the highest beef prices they've seen since 1987. The average retail cost of fresh beef in February was $5.28 a pound, up from $5.04 in January, according to the Department of Agriculture. The rising cost is caused by growing export demand for beef from countries such as China and Japan. That's combined with dwindling U.S. cattle herds, which ranchers thinned in the wake of the 2012 Midwest drought, when the price of feed went soaring.

"We use a lot of beef at Elephants, and we've had to get creative there," Weaver says. "We've had to use less-expensive cuts of beef, but we don't want to compromise quality, so we're using flat iron steaks versus tenderloins and more expensive cuts."

At the Southeast Portland Thai restaurant PaaDee, owner Earl Ninsom has experimented with less-expensive cuts, but hasn't been impressed. He says he'd rather raise prices than cut quality.

"If we raise prices, the customer's perception will be that they're getting squeezed," he says. "We'll have to communicate with them so they understand that costs are driving us to do this."

How you can save: Switch to cheaper cuts of meat like beef chuck short ribs, beef back ribs and shoulder roasts, which require longer cooking times to become tender. Learn how to make a good marinade, which can help break down tougher, stringy cuts of beef. Make beef less of a focal point in meals, using it as an accent in stir-fried vegetable dishes, or cut into thin strips as a garnish for salads.

Pork: With beef prices rising, some consumers have turned to pork as a cheaper option. But pork prices have risen to an average $3.73 a pound in February. A virus that kills piglets spread to 28 states and played a role in reducing the nation's pig herd by 3 percent, according to Department of Agriculture estimates. The lack of supply has driven up prices for pork, and bacon in particular, which could go up as much as 20 percent this year.

"Bacon has doubled in the last three years," says Weaver, who uses plenty of it in Elephants' take-out club sandwiches. So far, the delicatessen hasn't raised the sandwich's price, but he doesn't know how long they can hold out.

"We try not to overreact, because sometimes prices do come back down," he says. "But if they don't, we'll have to do a price increase. We try not to do that with something like a sandwich, because that's something that people eat every day. They live on those things for lunch. But still we sometimes are forced to raise prices."

How you can save: Spiral-cut hams go on sale after Easter, and can be kept unopened in the refrigerator for up to a month. Once baked, leftovers packed in a freezer bag will keep for three months in the freezer. Buy bacon by the full slab, which is significantly discounted, and break it down into one-pound portions and freeze for up to two months.

Chicken: Poultry prices increased 4.7 percent last year, the Department of Agriculture says, but 2014 is shaping up as one of the most-profitable years ever for chicken producers, as consumers switch from beef and pork. The government projects that Americans will eat the most chicken in three years.

How you can save: Whole chickens sell for significantly less than precut pieces, so buy whole chickens to roast or cut up. Use the bones and neck to make homemade chicken broth, which freezes well.

Produce: Just a month ago, you could buy fresh limes at Portland-area grocery stores priced three for a dollar. But this week, non-organic limes were selling for 79 cents apiece at Safeway stores, and 98 cents each at Fred Meyer. That sudden price spike is the result of a drought has decimated the lime crop in Mexico, where almost all of the limes that are sold in the U.S. come from. And with limes suddenly becoming produce gold, Mexico's drug cartels are reported to be extorting growers and taking over distribution networks to cash in on the crop's sudden windfall.

At Paadee, Ninsom relies on fresh limes for a number of his Thai specialties. A year ago, he was paying about $40 wholesale for a 40-pound box. Last week, they were $130. The restaurant goes through about 80 pounds of limes a week, so limes are costing him $180 more a week.

"It's definitely eating up a lot of our profits," he says. "So we've been looking for alternatives for fresh limes, like key lime juice. "

But Ninsom says he'll still need the pricey limes for dishes where their flavor is key: "It's so important in Thai food that we simply have to use it."

Cheney, who blogs about home cooking at HeatherLikesFood.com, says she tries to plan her family's meals based on what's on sale, particularly in the produce department. If cabbage is on sale one week, that's the time for cole slaw: "That's how I build my menus these days."

How you can save: Produce spoils quickly, and Americans throw away a lot of wilted veggies. Buy only produce that you know you'll use in the next two days. And shop for produce that's in season, since it typically is less expensive when it's readily available.

Grocery staples: Many packaged goods, particularly those that contain corn, are still selling at higher prices after a severe drought in 2012 wiped out much of the Midwest's corn crop. That makes it crucial to look for specials on everything from crackers to cereal. Using coupons can help trim costs, but that's not for everyone.

"I used to do a lot of couponing," Cheney says. "But it wasn't practical for me with kids and work and everything else. Now I try to go to the grocery store and just look for deals."

How you can save: Spend a few minutes each week with grocery store advertising inserts to learn which stores offer the best prices on particular staples you use regularly, and seek out those deals. Use coupons that come with the Sunday paper, but only if they'll help you save on products you would buy anyway.